Electronic locks have gained increasing acceptance and widespread use in residential and commercial markets. These locksets control ingress through doors in a building by requiring certain electronic credentials. For example, these locksets typically include a control circuit that determines whether to unlock the lockset based on credentials provided by the user. In some cases, for example, the credentials and/or commands may be provided wirelessly to the lockset, such as disclosed in Pre-Grant Publication No. US 2012/0234058 for a “Wireless Access Control System and Related Methods,” filed Mar. 8, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
In the access control and security industries, wireless locksets typically include an antenna located on the interior side of the door, usually behind a plastic “RF window” to not interfere with the RF propagation. Some locksets attempt to place an antenna on the exterior side of the door, but must deal with the challenge of making the antenna aesthetically appealing, RF communication efficient, tamper resistant, and easy to manufacture.
According to one aspect, this disclosure provides a wireless electromechanical lock with one or more of an internal antenna, touch activation, and/or a light communication device that acts as a user interface. Although this disclosure describes these features as implemented on a deadbolt for purposes of example, these features are applicable to any type of lockset, including but not limited to deadbolts, knobset locks, handleset locks, etc.
In one embodiment, the lock is made of mixed metals and plastic, with engineered cavities to contain electronics and RF antennas. For example, in some embodiments, the lock utilizes an antenna near the exterior face of the lockset, designed inside the metal body of the lockset itself. This is unique in that the metal body has been engineered to meet strict physical security requirements and also allow the embedded front-facing antenna to propagate RF energy efficiently. This holds many advantages over other means of antenna placement including compact size, cleaner aesthetic appearance, simplistic manufacturing, and tamper resistance.
A light communication device is provided in some embodiments to communicate information, visually, to the user via animations and dynamic displays of light. For example, a light communication device could be formed in a ring-shape in some embodiments that is incorporated into the exterior of the lock. In some cases, the light communication device can be used to selectively illuminate regions to create animations of dynamic multi-color light and configurations of static light along the circumference of the exterior light ring to communicate multiple user messages. These animations allow mimicking of lock operation to be possible. For example, animations may include, but are not limited to, sequentially illuminating light segments to show the direction of bolt movement or slow animation of light to indicate the lockset is busy, etc. Embodiments are contemplated in which the light communication device could be formed in shapes other than circular for a ring, such as rectangular, square, triangular, etc.
In some cases, the lockset includes a touch activation capability, which can be used to lock/unlock the lock and/or otherwise provide input. In some embodiments, for example, the entire outside cover of the lock is touch sensitive and allows a user to touch the lock to activate various functions of the lockset. This capability is unique because it does not require any special keypad area, button press, or glass capacitive touch sensor area, but rather allows the entire diameter of the lockset cover to act as a capacitive touch sensor for activation.
According to a further aspect, this disclosure provides a lockset with a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The lockset has a controller configured to electronically control movement of the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. An interior assembly is provided that includes a turn piece for manually actuating the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. The lockset has an exterior assembly including a mechanical lock assembly configured to manually actuate the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. The exterior assembly includes a light communication device with a plurality of independently controllable regions in electrical communication with the controller. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to actuate multiple of the regions in a predefined configuration to identify a condition of the lockset.
Depending on the circumstances, the controller could be configured to actuate the predefined configuration by adjusting (a) illumination of multiple regions of the light communication device, (b) intensity of multiple regions of the light communication device, and/or (c) color of multiple regions of the light communication device. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to actuate the predefined configuration by sequentially adjusting adjacent regions of the light communication device in illumination, intensity, and/or color.
In some embodiments, the light communication device includes at least three regions that are configured to sequentially adjust in illumination, intensity, and/or color. For example, the controller could be configured to sequentially adjust adjacent regions in a first order to identify a first condition of the lockset. Likewise, the controller could be configured to sequentially adjust adjacent regions in a second order, which is opposite of the first order, to identify a second condition of the lockset. For example, the orders in which adjustments are made could indicate the direction of the bolt.
Embodiments are contemplated in which at least a portion of the regions of the light communication device are arranged in a ring-like shape. In some cases, for example, the controller could be configured to sequentially adjust adjacent regions in a generally clockwise fashion to indicate movement of the bolt in a first direction. The movement of the bolt in the opposition direction could be indicated with a counter-clockwise actuation of the regions. In some embodiments, the exterior assembly includes a cylinder guard cover having a generally frustoconical shape. In some cases, the light communication device is generally concentric to a frustum of the cylinder guard cover.
According to yet another embodiment, this disclosure provides a lockset with a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A controller is provided to electronically control movement of the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. The lockset includes an interior assembly including a turn piece for manually actuating the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. An exterior assembly is provided with a mechanical lock assembly configured to manually actuate the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. The exterior assembly includes a touch surface. The controller is configured to actuate movement of the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position responsive to capacitive touch sensing of the touch surface.
In some embodiments, the exterior assembly includes a cylinder guard cover extending from the mechanical lock assembly and the touch surface comprises an external surface of the cylinder guard cover. For example, in some cases the touch surface comprises substantially the entire external surface of the cylinder guard cover. Embodiments are contemplated in which the guard cover has a generally frustoconical shape. For example, the touch surface could include substantially an entire side wall of the cylinder guard cover.
According to a further aspect, this disclosure provides a lockset with a locking device moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The locking device includes a cylinder guard cover, a handle, and/or a rose. A touch surface is formed as part of the lockset. An electrical circuit is provided that is configured to identify touching of the touch surface. In some embodiments, an insulator separates the touch surface and the electrical circuit. A conductive medium could be provided that electrically connects the touch surface and the electrical circuit.
According to yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a lockset with a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The lockset includes a controller configured to electronically control movement of the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. An antenna is in electrical communication with the controller. An interior assembly is provided that includes a turn piece for manually actuating the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. An exterior assembly is also provided with a mechanical lock assembly with a cylinder configured to manually actuate the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position. The exterior assembly includes a cylinder guard surrounding the cylinder that is configured to structurally protect the cylinder. The cylinder guard defines an internal cavity in which the antenna is at least partially disposed. In some cases, the antenna is entirely disposed in the internal cavity.
In some embodiments, the cylinder guard has a front side and a rear side. The cavity has an open end on the front side of the cylinder guard. A front cover extends from the open end of the cavity that is generally coplanar with a front face of the cylinder. Typically, the front cover is formed from a generally RF transparent material. In some cases, a light communication device extends between the open end of the cavity and the front cover. In some such situations, the light communication device is formed from a generally RF transparent material.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. It is intended that all such additional features and advantages be included within this description and be within the scope of the invention.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principals of the invention. The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.